The typical commercial coffee surrogate is a roasted blend of molasses and/or sucrose and cereal grains such as wheat and/or barley, the molten mixture being heated to the caramelization temperature typically in the neighborhood of 375.degree. F. or sightly thereabove to develop flavor. The flavor of this product is characteristically bitter and acidic. Among many coffee and non-coffee users, this flavor is not preferred. Typically, present coffee substitutes which are in the cold water soluble or hot water soluble form are aqueous extracts of the roasted mixture which are thereafter dried as by vacuum drying during which drying a moderate amount of flavor alteration may also occur incident to dehydration. Such extracts also are characterized by an acidic-bitter principle in beverage flavor.